2. Regular Bar Soap

If you still don’t want to use any oils, you can shave with regular soap. Most soaps have some lubricating properties and it can work pretty well as replacement to lather.

Make sure you create a lot of foam and apply it on your face.

3. Hair conditioner.

You know already that hair conditioner make your hair softer. So why wouldn’t it work for your beard as well?

All you have to do is put a fair amount on your hands and apply it on your face. Massage your face just like you would do with any pressurised foam or gel.

4. Baby oil

If you think about it, baby oil offers great lubricity and keeps your face well moisturised.

This method is mainly used by women to shave their legs. But who said that men can’t use it to shave their faces?

The downside is that hair will get stuck on your razor.

5. An insane product

I’m sure that the best way to tell you about this product, is to actually show you. If you’re wondering what are the best shaving cream alternatives, this isn’t among them. In any case. I hope you’ll enjoy it. And what’s better way to find out than the below video.

Let’s find out how to shave without shaving cream, shall we?

Now, here’s the reason why you first came here and started reading this article.

I honestly wouldn’t recommend you to try something like this unless your facial hair isn’t thick.

If your beard is thick and you still want to do this, I can still understand one or two reasons you might want to proceed.

Yes, there might be a chance that you’re out of lathering products. Or maybe you lost a bet. Otherwise, I see no reason.

In any case, if you already took your decision and you’re convinced that you want to go ahead with it, it’s good to keep in mind a couple of things and pull this off.

1. Your facial hair isn’t dense or thick.

This isn’t part of the process but it surely is the most important thing to consider before you begin.

If I take into consideration my personal experience, you better have facial hair that isn’t thick at all. Otherwise, there’s a high chance that this shave won’t be the most pleasant of your life.

2. Make a good razor selection

For this shaving project, you should think about using a razor with as less blades as possible. If you have a razor that has only one blade, it’s your best choice.

You ideally want a razor that you haven’t used before so that it’s sharp. This way, you’ll make less passes on your face with the razor and reduce the chances that you get skin irritation.

I would recommend a safety razor for shaving without lathering. However, if you’re not an experienced wet shaver, don’t even think about using one. This razor is much sharper than any cartridge razor you used (so far).

3. Prepare your face thoroughly for a shave

By preparation, I mean that you have done all the necessary to soften your facial hair.

More specifically…

Since you’re looking to shave without any lathering, first take a warm shower and make sure that you wash your face very well.

If you don’t want to take a shower, soak a small towel in warm water and then place it on your face for a minute or two.

You want to soften your facial hair and open up the pores of your skin so that your shaving experience is smoother.

4. Keep your face clean and your beard soft

If you didn’t take a shower as described in the previous step, make sure that you wash your face.

By washing your face, you remove any accumulated dirt and this will give you a better, smoother shave.

5. Lubricate your skin

I will assume that most guys will go for regular soap as a shaving cream alternative. In such case, make sure you create a lot of foam and apply it on your face.

Still not the ideal, but it’s you who wants to know how to shave without shaving cream, not me.

6. Shave with the grain

This is super important and you may want to remember it. Don’t even think of shaving your face without shaving cream and against the grain.

Unless you’re feeling adventurous.

You want to shave with short, gentle moves without putting any pressure towards your face. If you see that the razor gets stuck, rinse the razor and repeat.

7. Keep your face hydrated while shaving

While you shave, you need to keep your face wet and/or lubricated. I can assure you that you don’t want to shave your face when it gets dry.

Even when you use a good shaving cream, once lather is gone, you don’t shave the same spot without applying lather on your face again. With lather, the razor glides on your face. This way you avoid razor bumps and reduce the chances of having ingrown hair.

So, keep your face wet and lubricated.

8. Rinse your razor with cool water frequently

We talked about rinsing your razor and repeat shaving. Since you’re not building any lather on your face, your razor might accumulate hair very fast. Therefore, you need to rinse as often as necessary so dry hair doesn’t stay stuck on the razor.

I mentioned rinsing with cool water.

Rinsing your razor with cold water, reduces skin irritation and extends the life of your razor. Personally, I don’t like rinsing with cold water and I prefer it cool, but certainly not hot.

9. Moisturise immediately after you finish shaving

Finished shaving? Does it look like a minefield?

If the answer is no, you did a great job!

What you need to do now, is prevent skin irritation. Besides that, I’m sure you want your face soft and well moisturised.

Once you’re done shaving, wash your face with cold water. Cold water will close your open pores. Then, you want to dry your face with a towel.

Now that your face is dry, apply after shave. If your face isn’t sensitive, you can consider using alcohol based products. Otherwise, there quite a few alternatives available.

Still want to shave without shaving cream?

There you have it! Now that you know how to shave without shaving cream, it’s time to put the theory into practice.

Unless you’ve done it already.

Even if you try and shave without any lathering products, bear in mind that this isn’t ideal.

I don’t think there will be any long term negative side effects from doing so. However, you increase the risk of cutting yourself with the razor. Not to mention with a sharp safety razor. Besides that, shaving just with water, doesn’t give you a comfortable shave.

And the question is: Do you feel comfortable shaving without lathering products?

If you answered yes, no expert should tell you if it’s right or wrong!

Wet shaving enthusiast, ex-beard wearer and proud blogger of the Manliness Kit. Besides my interest in man grooming, I'm also a gadget geek (where most of my spare income goes), and passionate football (soccer) fan. I've got a beautiful girlfriend who puts up with me and my hobbies on daily basis and for that, I 'm very grateful.

5 Responses

Great job on the article John! Humorous and pertinent as well. I think a lot of us shaving fanatics won’t have to worry about running out of shave soap! The oils is a great point. I know quite a few people use them in their prep routine.

I’m happy that you liked it Matt. I’ve been testing a few shaving soaps lately and I think I won’t have to worry about running out for the next 5 years or so. As for the oils, jojoba is very typical for preshaving products.

John, if you have a mailing list please add me. Loved the article, and agree whole heartily. Lather and a good soap is important if you want to enjoy shaving, and having a good razor makes it all a cake walk. Great site!

Great ideas! Trying to go chemical-free when shaving is a fantastic idea because MANY of the shaving creams on the market have cancer-causing ingredients! Have you ever tried gently exfoliating your skin with a Norwex Body Cloth before you shave? (It’s high-end microfiber, that’s soft enough to use on skin) I have lots of customers who shave with a good razor and ONLY WATER after using the Norwex Body Cloth. I definitely agree with the prep work and the moisturizing afterward that you mentioned in your article! But this is a great alternative for people who don’t want to put all the toxins on their body, since the skin absorbs it into the bloodstream in less than 30 seconds. If interested, here’s the link to where you kind find a pack of 3 of these Norwex Body Cloths. A game changer, for sure! http://melissadettmer.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/shop/product-detail/48094